"All right," Mme Bustier called, roughly hitting her palm on her desk, "what in the world is going on?"

The class only blinked in surprise. They had never seen their teach in such an agitated state. Marinette hung her head sadly, and Alya rubbed her hand on her back comfortingly. Chloe had her arms crossed over her chest in a huff, and Adrien looked downright confused. Typical day?

Their teacher sighed. "Is nobody going to speak up? Or do I need to get the principal?"

Another moment of silence followed. Alya looked like she was debating jumping up in her seat and screaming the desperate situation to the world. Mme Bustier shook her head. "Fine, I'll-"

"Oh, teacher!" Chloe cried out loudly. She clutched her hands to the sides of her arms and pretended to shake. "They all ganged up on me! Marinette brought..." she screwed up her mouth, forcing out the word. "...TASTY treats." She said this like she would've said manual labor. "And when I wanted one, she refused to share!"

Marinette gasped and started to stand. "Wait, that's not-"

"Marinette," the teacher said firmly, "please allow Chloe to finish."

"But-"

"Yeah, Maritrash," Chloe hissed, cutting off Marinette's protesting. "Stop trying to hide the truth." Her smug, evil look vanished as soon as she looked back at Mme Bustier. "And then the class ganged up on me! They just started saying the school would be better off without me!" She began to sob dramatically, tucking her face in her hands, Sabrina nodding along.

Marinette tried to stand up again but Alya pulled her down, knowing she'd get herself in more trouble. Adrien glared. Marinette, Ladybug, had a horrible night and did not deserve what she was going through now. Even worse, Chloe was twisting the truth, putting all the blame on Marinette and her class mates. Adrien felt a rush of sympathy for Marinette. Frustrated, he stood up in his seat.

"That's not how it happened," he argued.

Mme Bustier looked at him in surprise. He felt his class mate's eyes staring at the back of his head.

And to his surprise, Chloe nodded. "Yes, Mme Bustier. I'm sorry I forgot, but Adri-kins tried to stand up for me. Everyone drowned him out though."

"No," Adrien argued, surprising his class mates, the teacher, and himself. "I stood up for Marinette."

An awkward silence followed. Then Chloe mustered a fake smile. "Adrien, what do you mean?"

"Yes," Mme Bustier mused. "I thought Chloe was the one who needed people standing up for her."

Adrien took a deep breath, his sympathy for Marinette driving his courage. "No," he replied. "Chloe is twisting the truth to her advantage." Chloe opened her mouth to protest, but he continued. "Um, it started yesterday..."

He drove on with the whole story, about Marinette standing up to Chloe for insulting her parents, and then today, where she brought treats and stood up to Chloe again, and the girl threatened to get her expelled. He obviously left out the 'Marinette is Ladybug and I'm hyperventilating inside because I think I'm in love with her' bit. Mme Bustier's jaw hit the ground when he told her the rest of the students piped up, saying they didn't want a school without Marinette.

Adrien Agreste turned his blond head back to the girl he was defending and saw that she might cry again. He turned forward again, embarrassed. "Um... That's it," he finished lamely. He sat down uncomfortably.

"It's true," Alya piped up. Adrien shot her a grateful look. "Chloe said that her father was offering Mr. Damocles a new set of class rooms for the expulsion of Marinette."

Mme Bustier looked like a deer in headlights. She turned to Chloe. "Miss Bourgeois-"

The door burst open as the sound of heated argument swept through the classroom. Mr. Damocles was speaking aggressively with the Mayor. "Mayor Bourgeois," he was saying, "I cannot simply expel a student because it makes your daughter happy."

"I am offering a new wing of class rooms and equipment," the Mayor said, his voice strained. "Just for the expulsion of one student. Do you really want to pass up the offer and get on my bad side?"

"DADDY!" Chloe screeched, lunging at her father. "Oh, Daddy, they're all ganging up on me, calling me a liar. It's not true! Marinette is a bully. She needs to leave."

"Anything for my Princess," he reassured.

Marinette's quiet voice spoke up. "Excuse me, mister Mayor?"

The class fixated their eyes on Marinette as she spoke to the Mayor with the confidence of ladybug (something only Adrien knew). "Mayor Bourgeois, with all due respect, are you doing this because you feel I am a bad student, or because your daughter wishes it?"

Mr. Damocles raised his eyebrows as Alya clapped her friend on the back. Chloe shrieked in disgust. "She's so rude! DADDY~~~"

"I'm sorry," Mr. Damocles said. "I am declining your offer. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is an extremely hard-working student."

"FIRE HIM!" Chloe shrieked in outrage. "FIRE HIM!"

The Mayor looked extremely conflicted. "I-"

"Wait," Marinette interrupted. "I don't want all this fuss and problems over me. I'll... I'll leave."

"NO!" Alya demanded, standing up in her seat. She glared at Chloe. "We fight for her!"

Kim let out a hearty cheer, as if Alya had turned this into a battle zone. The rest of the class stood, all shouting their assent. Adrien included.

Marinette felt her cheeks burn.

Mr. Damocles smiled. "It seems we have a protest."

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks so much for the reviews!~